Improvement in earth-augers



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEroE.

FRANCIS S. BURT, OF MOUNT PLEASANT, IOVA.

IMPaovl-:MENTiNl EARTH-AueERs.

Specification forming part of Leiters Patent N0. 149,717, dated April 14, 1871i; application filed March 7, 1874. v i

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANCIS S. BURT, of Mount Pleasant, in the county of Henry and State of Iowa, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Well-Boring Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, and to the letters and gures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a sectional view of my device. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of the same.

This invention has relation to machinery which is designed for boring into the earth, and which is especially designed for boring wells for obtaining water. The nature of my invention consists in an auger, which is surrounded by a deep rim and provided with hinged bottoms for discharging the loose earth collected in it, in combination with horizontally-cutting blades or bits, and vertical slicers or cutting-hns, so arranged that the latter will precede the bits and loosen the earth, and thus lessen the work of the bits.

Other features of my invention, together with a more full explanation of those above referred to, will now be explained.

In the annexed drawings, A designates a frame, which is adapted for supporting the anger-shaft and the machinery for rotating this shaft, and raising the same to discharge the loose earth. B is a Vertical shaft, which: has its bearings in horizontal beams a a of the frame A, and -to the lower end of which a sweep-lever is applied, by means of which horses can work the machinery. On this shaft I apply a sprocket wheel, C, and a winding drum, (l1, both of which can be engaged with or disengaged from the shaft at pleasure by means of suitable clutching devices. The winding-drum O1 is designed for raisingy and lowering the auger, hereinafter explained, which is done by means of a rope or chain, b,

that passes over a horizontally-arran ged drum,

D, and has a hook attached to it, as shown in the drawings. The sprocket-wheel communilcates rotary motion to the auger through the medium of a rag-chain, c, which passes around a sprocket-wheel, G2, on the auger-shaft E.

The auger-shaft E is allowed endwise play through wheel G2, but turns with this wheel. F F are the bearing-guides for the auger-shaft, through which guides this shaft is allowed free endwise movement, whether it be rotat- 'ing or not. The auger is thus allowed to descend as the work of boring progresses.

While I prefer to construct the supportingframe and driving mechanism as I have above described, I do not conne my improvements on the auger to such construction. I construct the auger with an annular rim, G, and abottom which is composed of two hinged segments, G G', held in place by catches g, by means of which the said seglnents can be released when the auger is drawn to the surface of the ground, and the earth which was collected in it discharged. The hinged segments GVG are connected to the lower edge of the annular rim or band G, and this band, which is composed of two segments, is secured to rectangular portions h h of a strong crossbar H, through the middle of the length of which the auger-shaft E passes, and is terminated by a centering-point, f. The bottom side of the cross-bar H is below the hinged auger-bottom, for the purpose of preventing undue friction thereon. eled in opposite directions on opposite sides of the thickened portion through which the shaft E passes, for the purpose of affording inclined' beds'i t' for the bits or cuttingplates j j to rest upon. These bits j j will be secured to the bar H by means of bolts and nuts, and there will be slots made through the bits, so that when the nuts are loosened the bits can be adjusted. If it is desired to change the pitch or inclination of the bits, I will use wedges beneath them. Theouter ends of the bits jj are turned up outside of the riml or band Gr and sharpened, as shown at k, for the purpose of making a clearance for the rim and preventing undue friction thereon. The bottom of the cross-bar H is provided with cutting-hns a, for the purpose of making vertical cuts into the earth preceding the horizontal cutters, and thus, by loosening the earth, reduce the work of these cutters. To the upper ends of the rectangular portions h 'h of the cross-bar H, I hinge cutting-blades p p, which are adjustably connected to the auger-shaft E Cross-bar His bev-V by means of arms m m, for thel purpose of fixing these blades at different angles. To these cutting-blades p p I secure the ends of two upwardly-Haring segments, N N, which are also secured to the upper edge of the band or rim G. The object of the cutters p p is to make a hole larger than is made by the cutters below them7 so that, in commencing to bore, a Very large hole may be made, and after going into the earth some distance, and it is found necessary to curb the well, a smaller hole may be made below the curbing by contracting the said cutters p p. II am thus enabled to make holes of different diameters with the same auger. The flaring segments can be detached from the auger when it is not required to use the expansible cutters.

angular ends h h, in combination with the cutters jj k 7c, and n, and with the annular rim Gr and hinged bottom segments Gr G', substan- Y tially as and for the purposes described.

2. Gutters p p, hinged 'to the upturned portions of the cross-bar H, and adjustably connected to the augershaft E by means of rigid arms m m, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my naine in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses: FRANCIS S. BURT.

A. T. BROOKS, J. W. TRIMBLE. 

